Weekly News From South County High School

From the Principal

Family,

I am excited to share that our 10th grade English Curriculum Team will be featured in March to share to share how they are working to teach with a Culturally Responsive mindset. The feature will be in the form of a video that the Office of Instruction and the Office of Equity and Cultural Responsiveness are teaming together to produce. This is fascinating that we will be highlighted to show the entire county how South County is dedicated to ensuring that every student is considered when developing plans for learning, and how we are incorporating their voices and experiences into everyday learning. Be on the lookout for more information and hopefully the link to the feature when it airs!

Students and staff celebrated Black History Month at South County High School. The school-wide focus began by engaging South County Stallions in a series of knowledge building announcements via school news. The student-led outreach provided critical messaging regarding African American contributions to American history. The school also participated in a Black History Spirit Week which included daily participation goals. Themed focus days included: Black Business 365, Knowledge is Power, and Poetic Justice, as a celebration of Black Poets. Special attention was given to the messaging “Everyone Is Welcome Here” throughout the building, as students created t-shirts and applauded their own contributions to a successful Black History Month celebration.

On Monday, I was honored to have been invited along with two of our fine ROTC Cadets to the Presidents Day Wreath Laying Ceremony led by Board of Supervisors member Dan Stork at the Tomb of George Washington in Mount Vernon. It was a very nice ceremony and our cadets made South County HS look GOOD! Heck, in the picture, they even managed to make me look good! I was very proud to be in the presence of Captain Abdiel Mendez and 1st Lieutenant Joseph Helms. We are in good hands in the future with these young men standing on guard.

Students in Mrs. Vera Woodson’s Marketing class at South County High School partnered with the school Librarian team of Miss Emily Strong and Mrs. Lisa Muir, and were introduced to Mr. Kevin Lawton, Digital Content Specialist with Fairfax County Public Schools. Mr. Lawton brought his extensive knowledge of movie and digital creation to the classroom to energize students engaged in the process of creating movie trailers. The project-based learning outline allows students to self-select a 250 or more paged book from the school library, create a Pitch Packet business plan, and develop a movie trailer to convince Hollywood Executives why the book should be a movie. Students selected books from varied interest including young adult, cultural heritage, dystopian novels, and autobiographies. Student featured movie trailers will be highlighted during the “I Can Film Festival,” held during the school day. The project-based learning process aligns with the Fairfax County Public Schools Portrait of a Graduate goals of providing students with the opportunity to collaborate, communicate, and become a resilient and critical-thinking global citizen.

On February 28th I will be sitting in the front row and serving as a judge at the 2020 SCHS Talent Show. This is one of the most fun events that is put on at our school during the year and we get a chance to find out where so much of the talent you all see and hear in your basements and garages has been hiding. Aside from being able to see our students on stage, half of the proceeds from the talent show this year are going to go to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. So come out and celebrate the talents of our students and support a wonderful cause! I hope to see you there!

Join me in congratulating one of our finest students, Ms. Sara West for being recognized for earning the President’s Volunteer Service Award. Sara is a recipient of this award because of her efforts to become a Prudential Spirit of Community Award winner. Even though she was not selected as one of the state-level honorees for the Prudential Award, we are proud of the work she has done to show and model how important it is to give through service. Sara, we are extremely proud of your efforts and accomplishments. Thank you.

Family, thank you again for your continued support of our students, teachers, and of me. I genuinely appreciate being here with your students. Have a great weekend. #OneStallion

Gary

From The Testing Office

March Writing SOL for 11th Graders

The Writing SOL for English 11 and English 11 Honors students will take place on March 11th and 12th. We will be operating on a modified bell schedule on those days. Please be sure to avoid scheduling any appointments on those days. Please remind your student to bring their fully-charged school-issued laptop and charger to school on those days. Students will test first thing in the morning, so it is important to get a good night’s sleep prior to the test and eat breakfast the mornings of the tests. I encourage you to discuss the testing with your student. Best wishes to you and your student.

Digital Citizenship

Last year FCPS mandated that all FCPS students at each grade level would receive one centrally selected lesson on Digital Citizenship each school year. High schools will deliver the same lesson to all students in grades 9-12 in a given year on a rotating 4- year cycle. Each lesson is accompanied by a family tip sheet to help families support and build upon the concepts being learned at school.

On Friday, February 21st, SCHS students, grades 9-12, completed the 2019-20 centrally selected Digital Citizenship lesson titled, “Becoming a Web Celeb” during their Advisory period. Students explored the essential question, “What does it take to become an internet celebrity.” Here is a brief synopsis of the lesson:

Students reflect on the possibilities and perils of an online world in which anyone can become a celebrity overnight. They analyze the journeys of real Web celebs, including some of the harsh comments that they have received online, and recognize how these comments may affect other viewers as well as their targets. Students then engage in a discussion about gender roles, thinking critically about the different pressures men and women may face in the public eye. (taken from the lesson plan “Becoming a Web Celeb” on the Common Sense Education website)

FCPS has provided a variety of resources to support parents/guardians with preparing their children to be positive digital citizens and digital leaders. Resources can be accessed via the Fairfax County Public Schools website (search for “Digital Citizenship”). A few of the core resources are the following:

Yearbooks

Buy your YEARBOOK today. Yearbooks cost $75 until the end of March. Get yours now before the price goes up. All sales are online at www.yearbookforever.com

SENIOR ADS FOR YEARBOOK

Senior ads for yearbook are on sale at www.yearbookforever.com until March. Space is limited. Get yours today to congratulate your senior on a job well done. (Ads can be bought for individuals, best friends, or school group of seniors- friends, seniors on teams, clubs, etc.).

Attention Senior Parents:

To order the official 2020 South County High School graduation announcements please go to http://www.balfour.com. Balfour is our vendor for those products.

Please contact Balfour with any questions 703-941-1436 or balfournova@yahoo.com.

Attendance Office

Early Dismissals

Please send a note with your student in the morning to give to the Attendance Office first thing upon arrival. They will receive a pass for an early dismissal at that time.Phones calls should be reserved for sickness, late arrivals, and unscheduled events. Not only does this ensure your student will be dismissed on time but it also does not interrupt instructional time for other students as the pass is delivered.

Thank-you for your assistance!

14th Annual Golf Classic

The South County High School Athletic Boosters (SCHSAB) announces the 14th Annual Golf Classic to be held on Monday, June 1, 2020 at Laurel Hill Golf Club in Lorton, Virginia. Call your friends and rally a team to come together and enjoy an afternoon golfing at our hometown club, Laurel Hill Golf Club. To register, click here: https://birdease.com/scgolfclassic

The Golf Classic is an important event that funds and sustains our state of the art athletic programs and fields. The Boosters work hard to provide the best atmosphere for our athletes and competitors to excel. Help us lead the charge to be the best in Fairfax County Public Schools. Did you know that the Boosters are a huge part of keeping our fields in such pristine condition? The funds raised by the Boosters help maintain and sustain all the fields both turf and grass, as well as team uniform replacement and equipment. We can’t do it without YOU! Thank you for YOUR SUPPORT!

If you are unable to participate and wish to make a donation, this link also offers the opportunity for you to show your support through sponsorships. Do you own a business or know someone who does? Please consider supporting our efforts through a funding a Sponsorship. To Sponsor the SCHSAB, click here: https://birdease.com/scgolfclassic and follow the Sponsorship button for giving opportunities. Companies and corporate giving are welcome!

South County Crew

Save the date! February 29, 2020

Ergathon 2020; Row Across the USA

ERGATHON 2020 - Row Across the USA Join South County Crew on February 29th, 2020 as we attempt to row across the roughly 4000 kilometers of the United States in celebration of the 2020 Olympics!

South County Crew Club members and CrossFit Lorton invite you to the Row Across the U.S.A challenge where every participant will have the opportunity to row up to 10,000 meters in an hour with an overall cumulative goal of 4000 KM.

The first 100 participants to register before February 17th, 2020 will receive a free t-shirt with the promo code EARLYBIRD. Registration fee is $35. Earlybird registrants will also have the opportunity to reserve their time slot. Please go to https://tinyurl.com/ergathon2020 to register. Walk-in registrants are also welcome.

South County Crew is a national award-winning club that is completely self-funded. We rely on South County Stallion families and our community to help support our program. Come out, have some fun in what we affectionately call The Pain Cave, on the ergs with us and help us raise funds for our Spring 2020 Season. If you are unable to come row with us, please consider making an in kind donation in lieu of rowing at https://sc-crew.org/southcounty/fundraising/.

GLORY DAYSPlease save your itemized receipts when you dine with our friends at Glory Days from now through April 5, 2020. SoCo Crew will receive a donation when you send these receipts to our fundraising chair, Terry Dover. Please click here for details.

Golf Club Donations Needed

The Physical Education department is currently taking donations of your used golf clubs. We are looking to add a golf unit in the spring and are looking for your wedges, 9 irons and 8 irons only. Please contact Erich Gunderman @ cgunderman@fcps.edu to arrange a drop-off.

Thank you for supporting SCHS PE Department

Lorton Community Action Center

Get in the game for a great cause! 13th Annual Monopoly Tournament to benefit Lorton Community Action Center. GO and make a difference in your community! Saturday, March 7, 2020/9am-2pm/Moose Lodge-9612 Fernedge Lane/Lorton, VA 22079/703-339-6688. Table sponsorships available from $300, $500 and $1000.

The 2020 Spring into Action Gala is LCAC's annual spring gala which is the biggest fundraiser of the year. This year, the gala will be held at the Harbour View event center on Saturday, April 18, 2020 from 6:30 PM to 11:00 PM. The evening includes a silent auction, cocktail hour with an open bar and passed hors d'ouevres, plated dinner and dessert, live music and more.

FCPS Cares is an opportunity for parents, staff, and community members to recognize FCPS employees for going above and beyond to help others and show they care. We invite you to submit your story so we can all acknowledge the good work of our South County HS Staff. Just click FCPS CARES.

Submission Deadline for February 29th News You Choose will be February 27th at noon. Please send all submissions to DBoullianne@fcps.edu.

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